Old-Style, No-Vinegar Carrot Pickles
Pickles without vinegar? Blasphemy, right? Wrong. Where I grew up, Jewish delis had big crocks of brined pickles that are still the best pickles I have ever eaten. No vinegar, just a strong brine — it keeps the cukes green and, while salty, I find I can eat far more of these pickles than vinegared ones. Plus you can eat them while drinking wine, something impossible with vinegar pickles.
And that tang? Oh, it’s fermentation. Yep. These are fermented pickles. Don’t be scared. They’re easy. This is how I do it with pickles. If you want a nice, basic natural pickle recipe, you could do worse that pick up Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing
Makes 1 quart
- 2 pounds small carrots, peeled
- 4 cups water
- 50 grams salt (about 3 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 dried hot chile
- 1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
- Cut the carrots into discs the size you would want to eat at a cocktail party. Or leave them whole.
- Boil the salt, water, bay leaves and chile for a minute or so, then turn off the heat and let this cool to room temperature.
- Pack the carrots and the thyme sprig into a clean Mason jar and pour the brine over them.
- You will have leftover brine. Pour this into a plastic bag and tie it off. Push the bag into the jar — you want the carrots to be completely submerged in the brine. If they hit air while fermenting, you get molds. Ew.
- Put the jar into a cool, dark place for 3-4 days. What’s cool? Cooler than 65 degrees. Like many things that ferment, 55 degrees is about perfect. You can leave the carrots in longer if you want — they will be saltier and tangier.
- Remove the bag and pour the brine into a clean pot and boil it. When it is cool, pour it back into the jar and seal it up. This is a precautionary in case any bad bugs were thinking about getting active during the fermentation.
- Sealed and kept cold (below 50 degrees), these pickles will last a long, long time in the fridge.
